Coupler for ice manufacturing apparatus



Get. 27, 1931. gQ E 1,828,811

courwn FOR ICE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS F iled July 12, 1950 PatentedOct. 27, 1931 "UNITED S ATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE LANGE', on NEW YORK, 1v. Y.,'AssIe1 Ion"ro xnIcxnnocKEnZsTAMrin'e .eoiu

rANY, or PARKERSBURG, wn's'r VIRGINIA cournnn non ICEMANUFACTURINGILI'PARATUS Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to a coupler designed more especially for use inconnection with a header or air lateral such as used for example in theapparatus disclosed in myl co-pending application filed August 10, 1928,

Serial No. 298,784.

In ice manufacturing apparatus of the type mentioned, it is desirablethat a quickdetachable connection be provided between aligning headersor air laterals, so that one of them can be separated from theother forthe purpose of withdrawing its drop tubes from their cans.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a coupler havinginterfitting members upon the respective headers or laterals forming atight but readily separable connection in which is included a checkvalve which is held unseated as long as the parts are assembled, butwill automatically seat when the parts are disconnected, thereby toprevent escape of air under pressure from the coupler.

Another object is to provide a coupler which is simple and compact, canbe manu factured readily at low cost, and constitutes i an eflicientvalved connection for the purposes intended. With the foregoing andother objects in 39 view, which will appear as the description proceeds,the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and inthe details of construction hereinafter described a and claimed, itbeing understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed, within the scope of what is claimed,without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown. In said drawings: l I Figure 1 is a vertical section througha portion of the tank, grid, and cans of an ice manufacturing apparatusequipped with the present improvement.

Figure '2 is a vertical section through the complete coupler assembled.

Figure 3 is a section through the casing of the coupler from which thecoupling stem in mentioned.

1930. Serial Nor-467,559.

has been withdrawn, the shown on its sea-t.

check; valve being Referring to the figureslbychjaracters of reference,A designates a-portion ofthe tank water contained inthe-respective'cans. Any

suitable means can be provided for rotating the laterals back and forthso that the drop tubes will swing like pendulums.

The structure-thus far described constitutes no-part-of the presentinvention, but has already been disclosed It has been the practiceheretofore to utilize aligning headers or laterals which areseparateanddo not communicate, separate means being provided for 'directingairunder-pres.- sure intothe separate groups of laterals from oppositesides, respectively, of the tank.

The present invention provides a means whereby the aligning laterals orheaders can be connected detachably. and suppliedwith I air fromone airpipe at one side only/of the tank. For this purpose, the particularcoupler constituting this inventionhas been employed. This includes acasing 1 having a tapered bore 2 extending-thereinto from: one'end and-opening into a chamberi3,,the bottom of which is closed bya screw plug4 or the like. A valve seat i5. i'sfprovided about the inner end of thebore 2 and is adapt ed to be engaged tightlylby a valve 6 in-the form ofa disc which isslidablein thechamher 3 and is supported by a spring 7resting on the p1ug4. An extension 8 is formed in the casing 1 andprojects beyond that end. in which the bore 2 is provided. Thisextension 8 has a passage 9, one end of which opens into the chamber 3while the other end opens throughthe side of the projecting portion oftheextension andis adapted to receive the .OPen, end'ofthe header orlateral in my application here I When it is desired to remove thelateral and the tubes G depending therefrom, the

stem 10 is withdrawn from the bore 2 and" means released by saidWithdrawal for closing the other coupling member, said coupling membersconstituting a positive driving connection between the headers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature.

' ,GEVORGE LARGE.

the valve 6 is promptly seated by 'ts spring to prevent loss of airunder pressure;

What is claimed 1s:

1. In an ice manufacturing machine, the

combination with coaxial alining headers detachably 'mounted forrotation, and drop tubes carried thereby for suspension in the cores ofice blocks, of a casing opening into and supported by one headerandextending radially therefrom, said casing having a tapered bore the axisof which intersects the axis of the headers, a valve in the casingnormally closing communication between the bore and the header on whichthe casing is mounted. and a tubular stem opening into and supported bythe other header, said stem extending radially from its head and adaptedto seat in the bore and hold the valve unseated, there beinga port inthe stem for opening into the casing adjacent to the unseated valve, theheader being shiftable bodily out of coaxial relation to the otherheader and in the direction of the length of its depending tubes towithdraw the stem from the bore.

2. In an ice manufacturing machine the combination with separate coaxialalining headers detachably mounted for rotation, and drop tubes on theheaders for suspension within ice blocks, of a tapered tubular stemcarried by one header and having an open ing adjacent to its small end,the longitudinal axis of the stem being substantially at a right angleto the axis of the headers, a casing carried by the other header havingatapered bore to receive the stem when the headers are moved intoalinement, a springpressed valve normally seated in the casing to closethe bore, said stem, when inserted into the bore, constituting vmeansfor holding the valve unseated andthe stem opening in communication withthe interior of the casing.

3, In ice manufacturing apparatus coaxial alining headers, drop tubescarried thereby for suspension in separate ice blocks, interfittingcoupling members carried by the respective headers and having acommonlongitudinal axis intersecting the axis of the headers at rightangles thereto, one of the headers being bodily liftable in thedirection of the lengthof the tubes to withdraw one of the couplingmembers from the, other, and

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